Tuesday, May 27, 2008

OmniVision claims 8 megapixel OmniBSI sensor turns cellphone imaging world "upside down"

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/298907132/

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Digital Camera 101: As manufacturers continue pushing the Megapixel Myth by stuffing more and more pixels onto rapidly shrinking sensors, the outcome is poor performance on top of poorly lit images of increasingly low quality. Now OmniVision, the largest CMOS image sensor manufacturer today, says they've solved the pixel size problem though backside illumination (BSI) technology. In essence, BSI helps maximize photon collection by circumventing obstructive metal and dielectric layers on the top-side of the sensor die. The result is improved light absorption, thinner overall camera modules, and increased sensitivity and F stops with reduced crosstalk. However, as EETimes' crack staff of Electrical Engineering super-nerds point out, BSI is not a new technology. In fact, several manufacturers lay claim to BSI patents. However, OmniVision seems to be the first to take the tech to mass production for consumers. To prove it, they'll release an 8 megapixel OmniBSI CameraChip sensor brimming with the new tech for sample in June. Couple it with a decent cameraphone lens and image processing circuitry and we might be in for a treat.

[Via EETimes]
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RAmos reveals Blue Magic T8 PMP

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/298969104/

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Just in case you felt there wasn't quite enough screen real estate on the ultra-sleek V8, RAmos is giving the display even more attention on the Blue Magic T8. The player features a 4.3-inch display, 10-millimeter thick enclosure, built-in FM radio tuner and the potential to play nice with a not-yet-developed dock that would enable video output. Beyond that, details are freakishly scarce, so it looks like you'll have to put away your excitement for the time being.

[Via PMPToday]
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Monday, May 26, 2008

Sans Digital's CS1T and CR2T turn CF cards into 2.5-inch enclosures

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/297405445/

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Sans CR2T
We've seen CF-SATA converters before, but what if you were to create a SATA shaped, sized, and interfaced enclosure and allow users to throw Compact Flash cards in there to make their own SSDs for more standard installs? Sans Digital's CS1T is a single-card Compact Flash CF to 2.5" SATA enclosure and the CR2T is a dual-card enclosure that uses RAID to support up to 64GB. Both utilize IDE and, when closed, look and act just like 2.5-inch HDDs for your various installation needs.
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PC Microworks intros Montevina-powered Edge uber-laptop

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/297493693/

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PC Microworks Edge
Heads up, spec hounds. PC Microworks' Edge with Centrino 2 (aka Montevina) is a powerhouse that cannot be denied. This speedster sports a 15.4-inch WUXGA screen, packs a Montevina Quad Core Centrino 2 CPU, 2gb of DDR3 at 1333MHz, nVIDIA Gefore 9800M GTX, HSPDA, and up to 4TB of 7200RPM drives. Don't go running to the credit card gods just yet, though, as the Core 2 Extreme Quad Core QX9300 (2.53GHz/1066MHz/12MB) version won't be available until the end of July. What's more, this baby all decked-out will run you a cool $8,265.

[Thanks, Matthew]
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Tranquil PC announces Intel Atom-based Harmony home servers

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/297983584/

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Well, doesn't Tranquil PC seems pretty stoked about their new Atom-based Harmony home servers? Though they're not exactly mind-blowing (to us, anyway), two new fanless models should be shipping in June: the T7-HSAi (left, with a single 3.5-inch drive or two 2.5-inch drives) and T2-WHS-A3i (right, with up to two 3.5-inch drives), both featuring Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, 512MB or 1GB RAM options, and running Windows Home Server. With base configs and 500GB drives, the T7 will start at £278 ($550 US), and the T2 at £299 ($590 US).
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